Hoisting gear



Sept. 10, 1929. c, MUNDY 1,727,724

' HOISTING GEAR Filed June 7. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l C. L. MUNDY HOISTING GEAR Sept. 10, 1929.

Filed June 7. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 10, 1929. V g, U Y 7 1,727,724

HOISTING GEAR- FiIed June '7. 1926 3 sheetssheet 3 Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

CLINTON L. MUNDY, OF NEWARK, NEW J'ERSESZ'.

HOISTING GEAR.

Application filed .Tune 7, 1926.

This invention relates to an improvement in motor-operated hoisting gear, and particularly to a hoist for operation by a motor of sub stantially constant speed characteristic, such for example, as a gas engine or electric motor of substantially constant speed characterlstic.

The advantages incident to the use of a gas engine for such a mechanism are principally that the power plant is small and light in weight, thus making for ease of transportation; and it is entirely self-contained, 1. e.,

independent of a supply of energy from some external source, as is the case with steam-operated hoists.

An internal combustion engine, or other constant speed motor, however, as is known, has certain characteristics which ordinarily limit its use, and so far as I know, a motor having subtantially constant speed characteristic, up to this time has not been successfully used with hoist sets of the type herein disclosed.

Specifically, then, this invention has for its object, to provide means to permit the use of a gas engine, or other constant speed motor, with hoisting gear, and to so arrange the driving connections between the engine and hoisting gear that the winding drums can be operated at different angular velocities, and in accordance with various load conditions.

The invention is disclosed in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of ahoist with gas engine power unit for drive;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine of Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing details of parts of the driving connection interposed between the engine or power unit and the hoisting gear proper; and s Fig. 5 is a View showing the details of a clutch arrangement for connecting the hoists drum to its driving gear.

In illustrating the invention, a double drum winding gear is shown, but obviously a single or even a triple drum hoist is capable of being used in the practice of this invention. Referring first to Fig. 2, the hoist set, in-

Serial No, 114,336.-

cluding the power unit and winding drums, is mounted on an integral foundation casting 1, which comprises parallel longitudinal elements extending substantially the length of the set, and cross members joining the longi tudinal elements at one end toform a rigid support for the power-unit 2. The latter, for the purpose of illustrating one application of the invention, comprises a vertically disposed gas engine of conventional type, having its crank shaft parallel with the axes of thewinding drums 3 and 4:. Also, referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the engineshaft issupported in a horizontal plane which is at least as high as the shaft supporting the adjacent winding drum 3, and somewhat elevated above the plane of the support for the intermediate or jack shaft 5. j p

The engine is completely housed in a protective covering from which projects a throttle operating rod 6, with handle 7. At its forward end, the engine is also provide with a crank 8, by means of which the engine can be rotated in starting. The rear end of the engine shaft is connected to a clutch and a change-speed transmission gear, both of which are enclosed in housing 9.

Referring to Fig. 3, theclutch, indicated at 10, may be of any suitable construction, it being shown as a multiple-disk friction clutch. The change-speed gear indicated'at 11, has three speeds in one direction and no reverse gear. The clutch is providedwith an operating shaft 10 and crank arm 10". A rod 10 connectsthe crank arm 10 withan operating handle 10 located at the operators position near the front of the engine. The

change-speed gear is provided with an operating handle 11 at the operators position and operating rods 11 extend from this po sition to the rearof the engine and are conenected with crank-arms 11. The driven shaft of the change-speed gear is connectedto jack shaft 5 through a link-belt chain drive indicated at 12. 12 is a suitable housing enclosing the chain drive. Jack shaft 5 is geared to shaft 3 of drum 3 by gears 5 and 3 and shaft 3 is in turn geared to shaft 4 of drum 4 by gears 13 and 4, so that both drums are driven in the same direction. The gear Drum 3 is looselymounted upon shaft 3?" and is driven therefrom through a clutch member 3 secured to gear 3* and engaginga friction surface formed in one end of the drum. Drum 4 is similarly mounted upon shaft 4. The clutch may be of any suitable construction, but I have shown it as a cone type friction clutch. The details of the clutch operating mechanism for both drums are the same and are shown in Fig. 5. Referring to Fig. 5, drum 4 is loosely mounted upon shaft 4 and may be moved along the axis of the shaft. The drum is normally pushed to the right a sufficient distance to disengage the clutch by spring 4 but the amount of movement is limited by a housing 4 enclosing and limiting the expansion of the spring 4. At the other end of the drum shaft a thrust washer 4is mounted upon the shaft and bears against thedrum. The shaft 4 is provided with an elongated slot into which is positioned a thrust key 4, the ends of which extend beyond the shaft and engage opposite points of thrust washer 4*". The right end of shaft 4 is provided with a bore along its axis from the end to the, slot provided for key 4}, and athrust pin (4) is positioned in this bore with its inner end engaging key 4 A quick pitch screw 4 is retained in a threaded bore of a fixedhousing 4 carried by the frame, and the inner end of screw 4 engages the outer end ofpin 4 Lever 4 and handle 4 are provided as a means for operating the screw 4. As lever 4 is rocked one way, it causesserew 4 to advance and force pin 4 against-collar 4 and shift drum 4 into engagement with the clutch 4. Rocking the lever in'the o posite direction causes the screw 4? to with raw and allow spring 4 to force the drum away from clutch 4.

The enlarged endportions 3and 4 of the windingsdrums, in which the clutch surfaces areformed, also serve as brake drums. Brake straps (not shown) of the usual construction encirclefthese end, portions and are connected in the usualmanner to operating shafts 3 and which, in turn, are provided with operating pedals 3 and 4 on the operators side ofthe. hoist. By means ofthebrake arrangements just described the drum may be held against rotation, or may be allowed to rotate under thepull of the load, when the clutches are. disengaged; Shafts; 3and 4 are sup; ported near. the middle by. bearings formed in, a bearing member 1 secured to the main 133E182 The ends of the drum near the operators position-are further provided with ratchet portions 3 and 4 and two cooperating pawls 8 and 4, are secured to frame 1 and engage the teeth on the ratchet. Each pawl is provided with a handle near its upper end by which it may be manually operated to engage or disengage its ratchet,see 3 and 4 By means of the ratchet and pawl arrangements jEustdesc-ribed, the. drumsmay be held against rotation under the pull of the load without the assistance of either the brake or the clutch.v

In the operation of my hoist, the changespeed gear is employed to obtain three different hoisting speeds. for different load conditions. If the material being movedv isof such character that a heavy load. must be carried on each haul, thechange-speed, gear will. be set to give the lowest hoisting speed, If the load is a medium load, the gear will be set to give an intermediate speed, and if it is a light load,thegear will be set to give the high hoisting speed. Once the change-speed, gear is set; for any given load, it will remain, set as long as thatv particular character of load is being moved,

The engine is used; for hoisting only and the weight of the load is relied upon. for lowering.

In starting the hoist, the change-speed gear is, placed in neutral position thereby disconnecting the engine from the other partsv of the hoist. The engine is then started inthe usual manner by means of crank 8.01 amotorstarter. After the engine has warmed up sufe ficiently for good running, it is connected to the hoist by releasing clutch, 1 0, shifting the change-speed gear to thefdesired speed position, and then allowing clutch 1.0 to en,- gage again. If the drum clutches 3? and, 4 are engaged with the drums, hoisting of the load'will begin immediately upon the engagement of clutch 10, but,, if desired, the starting of hoisting may be placed under the control of the drum clutches by keepingthem. open until after the clutch 10 has engaged. Once the hoist gets intoloperation, clutch l0 and change-speed. gear llfare not disturbed, except while stopping and starting and while changing from one hoisting speed to another.

It is to be noted that all control levers, i n eluding starting crank 8, are accessible from the operators. side of the hoist, a nd the operators position is such that he has unob:

structed'view of the winding drums and the hoisting cables.

' While-I have shown and describedjmy hoist; ing gear using a gas engine as a source offmotive power, it is to be understood that any other constant speed motor, may be used. such for instance, as any of the well known constant speed types of electric motors.

The term constant speed motor as used throughout the specification and claims, is not tobetaken in its strict sense as referring only to such motors as have absolutely constant speed, such as a synchronous motor, but is intended to include, in addition, all types of motors which maintain substantially constant speed between heavy loads and light loads, such as gas engines, induction motors, etc.

It is obvious that in case an electricmotor is used as a source of motive power, the starting mechanism may be conveniently placed in the same position as the starting crank of the gas engine.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination of a base frame, comprising longitudinal sills with cross-connecting members, a constant speed motor mounted across said frame and provided at its front end with starting means and at its opposite end with a releasable clutch and a selective gear transmission connecting with the drive-shaft of the motor, operating levers for said clutch and gear transmission located at the front of the mechanism with operating rods extending transversely of the frame and connecting said levers with the clutch and gear transmission respectively, a counter shaft arranged transversely of the frame and supported in bearings thereon, a second shaft similarly arranged, a winding drum rotatably supported upon said second shaft, means including a gear on the counter shaft for driving said drum by, said motor, a clutch member supported adjacent said drum for connecting the drum to the gear and driving motor, and an operating lever for said clutch located at the front side of the frame.

2. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination with a base frame having a gas engine mounted across the frame and a winding drum rotatively supported on the frame with its axis parallel to the crankshaft of the engine, of a change-speed gear transmission between the engine and drum mounted at the side of said base frame, power transmission means between the engine and drum on the same side of thebase frame as the changespeed gear transmission, controlling means for said gear transmission including an operating lever at the opposite side of said frame, releasable clutch means for the drum cooperating with and including an end portion'of said drum and controlling means for said clutch means including a second operating lever at the side of said frame adjacent to the first-mentioned operating lever for convenient control by an operator from a single position.

3, In a hoisting mechanism, the combination with a base frame having a driving motor mounted thereon at one end and a pair of winding drums rotatively supported on the frame with their axes parallel, of a changespeed gear transmission between the motor and said drums mounted at the side of said base frame, a releasable clutch between the motor and gear transmission, separate clutches between the gear transmission and each of said winding drums and controlling means for the clutches and change-speed gear transmission including, operating levers individual to each clutch and to said transmission, all of said operating levers being 'located near each other at one side of the frame for convenient control by an operator from a single position.

4. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination with a rigid base frame having a winding drum supported across the frontthereof and a driving motor at the rear of said frame, a gear at one end of the drum and adjacent one side of the base frame, power transmission means embodying a selective change-speed transmission between the driving motor and said gear, both the power transmission means and the selective change-speed transmission being disposed at the same side of the base frame as the gear, and controllable clutch and brake means for the winding drum operable from the opposite sideof the base frame.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLINTON L. MUNDY. 

